Paul Spodar

Military
media-20021.png UPL 20021 42-30043 SO-V, RUTHLESS, Ditched in the North Sea on return from a mission (#108) to Frankfurt, 4 October 1943.
Photo courtesy of Eugene Spearman.

Object Number - UPL 20021 - 42-30043 SO-V, RUTHLESS, Ditched in the North Sea on return from a mission (#108) to Frankfurt, 4 October 1943. Photo courtesy of Eugene Spearman.

Shot down 14 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29870 'Big Moose'. Prisoner of War (POW), Missing Air Crew Report #1038. Earlier on 4 Oct 1943 returning from mission to Frankfurt, B-17 #42-30043 'Ruthless' ditched in the North Sea. The entire crew was rescued by HM drifter ‘Lord Keith’.



POW

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32414218
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34261537
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Togglier, Enlisted Nose Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-798518
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-676887
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Big Moose
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron 545th Bomb Squadron 379th Bomb Group
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ruthless
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Cleveland, Ohio, USA 14 July 1922

Enlisted

Cleveland, OH, USA 24 October 1942 Residence: Cuyahoga County, Ohio Private, Branch Immaterial

Other

Assigned

Grafton Underwood, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14, UK 14 September 1943 Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group, 547th Bombardment Squadron on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #96 dated 14 September 1943, Giles Felker Kauffman Jr. crew. Five combat missions.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Austria 14 October 1943 POW Camp: Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria 48-15.

Died

Parma, Ohio, USA 3 October 2010 Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery Plot: crypt in mausoleum

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Updated the location of the POW event to “Austria” instead of “Germany” per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added a connection to Stalag 17B per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography".

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=3803;
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1038 / MACR 1038, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey p. 303 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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